When should I stop bottle feeding?

Zenobia - posted on 01/27/2012
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Hello I have a 16 month old who takes a bottle at night and sometimes throughout the day. Eats normal food, and drinks from a sippy cup, regular cups and can also drink from a straw. I was talking to a lady and when I said "my son takes the bottle" she looked at me funny and made a comment 'Oh he is still on the bottle?" Shoud I not be giving my son the bottle anymore, when is a good time to stop bottle feeding?....

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Julie-Ann - posted on 06/09/2012

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My son had his bottle until he was two - did drink water from a sippy cup but refused milk once the bottle went. I wasnt worried because he loved dairy food yogurts and cheese so was getting calcium that way. He never went to bed with a bottle tho - always held for bottle then bed afterwards. My daughter is 16 mths now and she loves her bottle - is starting to drink her milk from a sippy cup but im not worried about her age. same thing - never put to bed with a bottle - has it first while held then cuddles then bed to sleep.

I work in a child care and education centre where the age of a child with a bottle is not an issue - they will give it up when ready and most of our children will drink from a glass from age 1 - supported by the teachers.

I will not take the bottle away until my daughter is close to 2 - i think 1 is too young to take the bottle away as they are still babies and for some children it is a comfort thing - being held close to someone while drinking something yummy and warm.

ps - i have never had any one recommend to take the bottle away at age 1.

pps - bottle rot happens when the child drinks anything other than water then goes straight to sleep - their salvia has not had the chance to 'wash' the mouth before sleeping and the bateria grows. ALWAYS allow time after drinking anything before sleeptime - can occur with bottles AND sippy cups.

My son is now 20 mos old and still has his milk in a bottle 2 or 3 times a day. He drinks from his sippy no problem, but only water and juice. I will try to wean him from his bottle at least by the time he's 2, but he's had 2 dental check ups and there are no issues (he's not put into his bed w/ a bottle), so, to be honest, I am not worried. It is a personal choice as a parent...I believed it then & still believe it now (I posted to this when he was around 16 mos old). Wean your LO when you feel he or she is ready. :)

Bottle rot is caused by what's in the bottle and having a bottle overnight, not the bottle itself. If your son does not sleep with his bottle and is only given one at certain times a day instead of constantly walking around with it, bottle rot isnt a concern.

Typically bottle feeding ends shortly after a year. If your son uses a sippy cup well then he doesn't need to drink from a bottle too. I do know many toddlers who take a bottle before nap or bedtime in order to wind down.

You know, he's not going to be on the bottle in university!! What's the harm in letting him continue with the bottle until he is ready to stop? At this age you really shouldn't be putting him to bed with anything other than water-strictly from a dental hygiene point. The sugars in milk, formula, juice etc will keep the bacteria hopping on his teeth all night long. Believe me, my twins at age 3 had to have general anesthetic to repair all the decay on their teeth at the cost of about $2000...no one needs this stress or expense. I agree with Deborah that you should offer him yummy stuff in the cup and only water in the bottle if you really want to wean him off it-but not at night. He's old enough to go through the night without needing calories-you may have a few long nights, but it won't take too long to get him off the bottle.

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Amy - posted on 08/24/2013

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It's common for toddlers to become too full from the bottle feedings to eat a balanced diet. By 15 months they need different nutrition so as long ad they are getting most calories from 3 balanced meals and 2 snacks, which is far more work than bottle feeding, and the bottles arent totaling more than 12 oz per day shouldnt be an issue. Look into what nutritionists call milk anemia- there are so many other ways to bond with your child so I would get out of your habit and try different things to soothe and prepare for bed.

my toddler is 28 mths and im proud to say he has a bottle b4 bed every night and on wed fri and weekends he has one b4 his nap it settles him and its his routine, at day care and my inlaws he doent have one b4 his nap but when he has one with me its a bonding thing i still cradle him and he has a dummy, i dont care what others tell me hes MY child and i will do what I think is right for him, dont bend to pressure from others and you will know when he doesnt need it as for "bottle rot" as long as its not pooling in their mouth all night and they brush their theeth properly one but best twice a day they shouldnt get it!

My daughter is 22 months old and still has 1-2 bottles a day. One at bedtime while we cuddle, and sometimes at naptime. Officially, they say to have them off the bottle at 1, but not all kids or families are the same. It sounds to me like it's working for you and your son, so I'd say don't worry about it.

my dd has a thing hwere she will only drink milk in a botle, everything else is in a sippy cup, straw or other more grown up form. I am not too worried as I know that she will eventually drink the milk out of anything as well, soon enough. If the bottle is at bedtime I agree that this cold be a large source of comfort to your LO. I would suggest trying to put water in the night time bottles if you can to try to save his teeth. I am currently tryint to do the same. As long as you are both happy, just ignore the random negative comments from others about him still drinking from a bottle, when he's ready he'll switch it up.

I took my daugher off her bottle not long after she was 1. She was drink from a sippy cup and regular cup. I think that it depends on the baby. But I would offer a cup as much as your baby would take it. But I did use the straws sippycups and sports sippy cups, that had a nipple spout. So she was still sucking it , but it just wasn't a bottle.

My son is almost 16mos old & he still has 3 bottles of milk a day. He drinks juice/water from his sippy just fine. I'm not overly worried about it. I think he will let me know when he's ready--even if it's when he starts biting the nipples off. He doesn't go to sleep with one & his teeth are brushed every day (I would suggest never putting your baby to bed with a bottle unless it is just water because of what the PP said. Bottle rot is not fun, I'm sure).

Who cares how other people look at you--it's YOUR child & as long as your LO is taken care of, healthy, happy, and loved, if he still uses his bottle till he's 2, what is it going to hurt, really? People really should mind their own business. Parenting, in general, is a personal choice, and you shouldn't feel bad for how you take care of your son. :)

I'm surprised, too. I thought we were supposed to stop the bottle at 1 year old. But it's up to you. I felt like my son wasn't ready to give up his night-time bottle at 12 months, so I gave him that until he was 14 months.

take them away, especially since he's at the point when this will affect his teeth and his ears. Go cold turkey, he's plenty old enough. I would say around 1 is the normal age to be done with a bottle.

My daughter was onto sippy cups shortly after her first birthday, she had NO issues transitioning from a bottle to a cup. Once she figured out the sippy cup, she didn't really care what she had, as long as it was something to drink.

My fiance wanted our son 'bottle broke' early, but that just didn't happen. Our son REFUSED to figure out a sippy cup, and was very attached to his bottle. We started limiting the bottles he was allowed to have, because after a while, he would dump his bottles and play with the mess afterward. He didn't like the cups because they're leak proof.

Eventually I started giving him water in his bottles, but chocolate milk in his sippy cup. IT was summer time, so the water would evaporate, whereas the milk would smell. The chocolate milk got him more interested in the cups than the bottle, and it solved the 'mess' problem.

If he is already using a cup, then I think it's time to give up the bottles. Everyone says don't put your baby to bed with a bottle, but I used to set him down with his sippy cup in his crib all the time- they don't stay in their mouth like a bottle, and they don't leak, so I didn't see a problem with it. It also helped with teaching him to go to sleep on his own, I didn't have to rock him to sleep after he finally gave up his bottles, and now at 22 months he doesn't take a cup to bed either.

Start by eliminating the bottles he gets during the day, Only cups. If he resists a cup at bedtime, let him have the bottle a little longer, but after a week or two of only a bottle at night, put something less-tasty in it. After a while he'll pick what he prefers over what he doesn't. Give him the option of what to chose, water in the bottle, or chocolate milk in his sippy cup.

and chocolate milk still provides all the 'good stuff' milk has, it just ups the sugar content, really. The calcium doesn't disappear because it's flavored.

Don't let other people influence you on how to raise your child. If YOU don't see or have a problem with a particular option(be it a bottle or a disciplinary act), then there isn't one, as long as you and your child are happy and healthy, you're doing a good job. Give THEM a look like "Who do you think you are?" and act indignant that they would judge your parenting choices. "I don't see how that is any of your concern" is a very tactful way to tell someone to mind their own business.

i would say a good time to stop is when they are able to drink from the sippy cup. my oldest son took his bottle until he was 2 and started biting the nipples off. thats when i said "ok no more" its a choking hazzard when they start doing that. so what i did was told him he was a big boy & didnt need it anymore & i cut the nipples off (theres no turning back @ this point) with him right there and let him throw them away himself!! my 3 year old was off the bottle as soon as he could hold his bottle alone i switched to the sippy cup. he was completely drinking from a sippy and no bottle at all by 8 months. but all kids are different..the sooner the better though